Crete…something for everyone!

When the weather is miserable and you just need a quick escape, Crete is a fantastic place to head off to especially between April and October. With just under 4 hours flying time from London you can be on a plane in the early morning and then sipping Ouzo and tucking into a Greek Salad by lunchtime.

Whether you love sunning on a beach, walking up a mountain or driving around the island exploring some of the ancient sites and rural villages, there is something for everyone to experience.

I was really impressed with Daios Cove. On arrival, looking out across the beautiful bay, the hotel blended into it’s surroundings beautifully with stunning views out to sea and made me feel at once relaxed and excited to be on vacation. By lunch time I was sitting in the Taverna eating a beautiful Greek Salad and drinking a cool glass of local wine, a perfect start to a lovely stay and no jet lag!

Daios Cove is built using the local stone from the hills it was carved out of so blends beautifully into the landscape. It has a great design, with 2 funiculars to take you up and down the hillside as well as golf buggies to get around the resort. I stayed in a one bedroom suite with sea view and I really do recommend you splash out on one with a private pool for ultimate privacy. The best way I found to relax and unwind was to be by the amazing infinity pool in the morning, have a nice swim in the sea in the afternoon finishing with a bit more relaxation on my private balcony before the sun went down.

One bedroom suite pool

View from one of the beautiful Villas

The evenings were just as relaxing. It was great to head out to the Ocean Wet Bar for a nice pre-dinner G&T before having dinner in one of the lovely restaurants. I would in particular recommend the two a-la-carte restaurants, Taverna and Ocean. We had the ‘catch of the day’ meal at Taverna, where the waiters had a competition to see who could fillet their fish the quickest, my waitress won! We also had a couple of wonderful meals at Ocean. My tip for your stay would be to pre-book Half Board, and then you get a credit for dining at the a-la-carte restaurants, great value!

Dinner at Ocean Restaurant

Daios is also great if you have little ones. It was my first experience of visiting one of our Scott Dunn Explorers Clubs, and I was really impressed. Chloe and the team showed me around and I was very envious of all the facilities the kids get, it’s a great club with a great team, hope to take the grandkids one day!

Scott Dunn Kids Club at Daios Cove

Amirandes has a very different feel, it oozes charm and luxury and driving up to the front entrance you really do feel you have arrived in a luxury resort, with wonderful pools and views out to sea, its photo shoot heaven, and only a short 20 minute drive from Heraklion Airport.

Amirandes: view from Labyrinth Lagoon Bar

There is quite a choice of rooms; we stayed in a Luxury Junior Suite, really close to the beach, with its’ own private pool and gym – a great idea for fitness fanatics wanting to work off the calories from the many restaurants. It is definitely worth upgrading to a Suite or Bungalow, for the privacy and location close to the beach.

Private Pool in Luxury Junior Suite

Seawater outdoor pool

What made Amirandes stand out for me were the service and the quality of food. Some of the best service I have experienced anywhere in the world. The majority of their staff are Greek and trained locally by the Maître d’ personally. Nothing was too much trouble for anyone. Try the Asian food at Blue Monkey like the tempura vegetables, spicy chilli sauces, and beautiful fish.

Blue Monkey restaurant

For a lovely week’s break, a long weekend or a family vacation it offers luxury, sophistication and relaxation for everyone.